


The Gift

by BlackVelvet42



Series: For Her [6]
Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Aftercare, BDSM, Bondage, Choking, Dirty Talk, Discipline, Dominance, F/M, Gags, Holodeck Sex, Humiliation, Oral Sex, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Porn with Feelings, Rough Sex, Sadism, Safe Sane and Consensual, Spanking, Submission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-26 07:33:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14397276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackVelvet42/pseuds/BlackVelvet42
Summary: "In all his arrogance and vanity thinly veiled behind sophisticated wit, she had recognized the possibility for pleasure. And not just any pleasure, but the kind she craved most; dark, deep, sharp, and bruising. Without mercy, without regret, without tomorrow."





	The Gift

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LittleObsessions](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleObsessions/gifts).



> In a fandom full of amazing writers and mind-blowing fiction, it’s impossible to pick a favorite, but “The Seventh Bar” by LittleObsessions definitely left a permanent mark on my soul.
> 
> My own story idea crystallized through dazzling book club conversations and one comment in particular by the wonderful devovere: “I’m surprised no one has yet suggested that Kashyk could be a true sadist.” 
> 
> En pointe. Let’s play with that.

* * *

 

 

“Kashyk?”

Confused and amazed, Kathryn stared at the hologram, frozen on the upper level of her ready room, creating an air of danger even in its current harmless state.

“Are you serious, Chakotay?”

She turned her attention back to the man by her side, searching for his motives, but his expression gave away none.

“Why in the world would you choose him, of all people?” she asked again, more firmly this time. Before they could proceed with whatever he had planned for their time together on the holodeck, she would need an answer she could accept.

He didn’t even blink.

“Because of the way you looked at him,” he stated simply, his gaze unwavering, and for a moment her cheeks felt warm, and she wished he wasn’t quite so observant and insightful.

Yes, she could admit. She had looked at Kashyk, long and hard, from the first day he’d set foot on her ship and started giving out orders, and what she had seen in him was much more than an adversary.

In all his arrogance and vanity thinly veiled behind sophisticated wit, she had recognized the possibility for pleasure. And not just any pleasure, but the kind she craved most; dark, deep, sharp, and bruising. Without mercy, without regret, without tomorrow.

The fact that she hadn’t been able to hide her interest from Chakotay probably meant she hadn’t been as discreet as she had thought, and she cringed to think of the many others among the crew who were equally perceptive.

Not that there was much use in contemplating her actions anymore; that was all in the past.

Yet the past was here once again, in the form of a birthday gift. Certainly the strangest gift she had ever received, but given with the intent to please the recipient nonetheless.

“And you thought I could just… have my way with him?” she formulated with a lopsided grin spreading across her face.

The whole situation was both ludicrous and delightful, more evidence that their relationship had developed far beyond its destructive beginning. With time and effort, they had managed to build a strong foundation for their togetherness, making exploration of every desire not only possible but also eagerly accepted.

Despite her playful tone, he turned serious and tugged his ear as he spoke.

“Kathryn, before he came back asking for asylum, I had the questionable privilege of being his confidant during his visits. And he sure as hell liked to talk - about you, mostly. I don’t think he kept any of his ideas a secret. Maybe he expected to get a rise out of me, I don’t know. Anyway, I combined that information and his profile in our database to create this holodeck program, and all I want to say is, I have no doubt in my mind it’s he who will be having his way with you. Not the other way around.”

Her heart missed a beat, then another, and he studied her closely as he continued.

“But since I had the feeling that was precisely how you would have wanted him, I thought, why not, maybe I would enjoy it too.”

A treasure. He was an absolute treasure. What had she done to deserve him in her life?

One day, she would find out his most well-guarded fantasy and return the favor, but for now, they’d done enough talking.

“Safe words as usual?” she checked, her focus already drifting to the man who would soon be brought to life again.

“Red, yellow, green. Open palm three times if you can’t speak,” he affirmed the familiar rules, proven indispensable over their years together. “And Kathryn, the safety protocols are deactivated. I’ll be monitoring everything. You concentrate on enjoying yourself.”

Hearing that, she closed her eyes briefly.

She could feel his joy at being able to gift her this experience, knowing full well how she liked going against the rules and how taking risks heightened her pleasure.

Yes, he was a treasure, and she was a very lucky woman to have him.

“Ready?” he asked one last time.

Excitement gripping the pit of her stomach, a healthy amount of nervousness settling in her chest, she held her breath and nodded.

“Computer, resume program.”

The moment his features came to life, she was catapulted back in time.

It wasn’t a hologram she saw before her; it was the man they had encountered in hostile space, the man she had clashed with, their first meeting sparking an elaborate dance of power and seduction.

Everything about him had enticed her, not only her senses, but her mind as well. He was certainly handsome, charismatic even, yet it was the mix of intellect and instinct, of elegance and cruelty that essentially attracted her, the perfect combination promising passion where heaven and hell would intertwine.

And the way his eyes bore into hers, like she was the only thing worth looking at, made her shiver knowing she would soon learn just how dissolute his desires could be.

“Captain! Commander! To what do I owe the pleasure of the company of my two favorite people on board? I hope the inspection isn’t giving your crew too much trouble? I did tell my officers to be nice.”

He sounded as careless as she remembered and his words, like they often were, ambiguous with an undercurrent of threat.

“Actually, we were hoping you would consider an alternative solution to our situation. One I believe you will find appealing and would enable us to proceed on our journey without further interruption,” Chakotay said stepping closer.

“Oh?” Kashyk’s eyes darted from her to him and back again as the meaning of Chakotay’s proposition dawned on him. “I see. Interesting.”

The narrowing of his eyes and delay in his reply hinted that he had been caught off guard and that he was now busy evaluating both the sudden change in their tactic and the possible repercussions of this course of action.

“Captain, you didn’t strike me as someone who would allow her subordinate to speak on her behalf,” he questioned, suspicious but visibly intrigued.

“He’s not. I will negotiate the terms,” she cut in, drawing his attention to where it belonged.

His expression sharpened as he blatantly scanned her body, from her face to her chest and down to her hips.

“Ah, terms. But I haven’t even decided if I would consider this… alternative you are offering.”

Confident in his supremacy, he circled her with lazy steps, challenging her to make the encounter as interesting as their previous ones had been. Measuring her resolve to carry out the plan they had suggested and he was tempted to approve.

Facing her again, he took her by the chin and leaned in close.

“Maybe I require a foretaste to help me make my decision.”

His lips pressing against hers was nothing less than an assault, meant to test her compliance to submit, to assess if she would put up a fight to whatever he was planning. Or her first officer, who was still standing right behind her, witnessing every lick, bite, pull, and plunge.

She parted her lips just enough for his tongue to invade and deliciously conquer, her restrained willingness inspiring him forward, prying her mouth open, leaving none of her moist softness unexplored.

Once satisfied, he released her with an audible smack and nudged her away, licking his lips as he turned to Chakotay.

“And how do you fit into this plan? Will you be watching? Or participating?”

Chakotay’s answer held an edge of tension, but she wasn’t sure if it was arousal or annoyance.

“However you deem appropriate, Inspector. I only want for our travel home to proceed safe and swift.”

Amusement and disbelief flashed in Kashyk’s eyes, but he let the matter rest, cataloging and filing away yet another piece of information to be used at a suitable time.

“Commander, please, take a seat while I continue my discussion with the Captain. I might ask you to come join us later, however until then, I do not want you to disturb us.”

How much of his character was accurate and how much shaped by programming she didn’t know, but the development of events felt realistic.

This was how she had pictured their situation back in Devore space, that it would have taken only one poorly calculated move or a misplaced word for her to end up as the bargaining chip for the safety of her crew and the lives of the refugees they were trying to protect.

Every minute of their interaction had been a game, just like it was a game now, and he dove into playing his part well. Dominating the scene, basking in his superiority, twining a plot to manipulate the people around him. Like the conductor leading the symphony he ordered from the computer.

“Take off the jacket, Captain, and the shirt as well. We don’t need reminders of your rank here, do we? Not while these… negotiations take place, hmm?”

Throughout her life, she had hungered for this delicacy of submission, yet very few men had ever been able to serve it properly. And the higher she had reached in Starfleet, the fewer became her opportunities, leaving her in a void. Until she met Chakotay - and Kashyk.

The command in his voice was a delicious contrast to the respect she had grown accustomed to, evoking a sweet anticipation, and she couldn’t suppress the smile twirling on her lips when she stripped.

Her delight seemed to distract him, not sure what it stood for. The tightening of his jaw and his curt order to remove her bra too made her suspect she would have to pay for her self-assurance later.

Then again, maybe that was what he found alluring, irresistible even.

Clearly, he enjoyed his profession, but at times he had seemed almost bored, as though his duties lacked the challenge he hungered for. Maybe by eluding his attempts to take control she had presented him with a rare opportunity for excitement, a mystery to be solved. Maybe he cherished her as an equal in a battle where only one could prevail.

If her confidence and calm made him harsher, she didn’t intend to complain.

His hand came to slide from her hip to her breast, weighing and squeezing, evaluating her curves and pale skin, making sure she knew exactly what her value had been reduced to.

Nevertheless, even though her core was soaking from his offensive touches and her nipples aching for more than a brief pinch and pull, she bit back her sighs. His arrogance needed a counterbalance and she wasn’t going to let him see her arousal until it was unavoidable.

There was the slightest tremble in his fingers as he pushed her down on her knees and opened his pants, impatient excitement springing from a rush of power. Pulling out his fully hard member and placing the tip on her lips, his gaze was both heated and curious, attempting to find any kind of frailty in her steady composure.

“Give me your absolute best, Captain. I’m sure you are highly motivated to make this treaty a success.”

She glanced up at him and moistened her lips, and taking him into her mouth she saw the victory shining in his eyes, intoxicated at watching her down at his feet, in service and surrender.

The comparison came to her mind without specifically thinking about it. This man tasted different, his shape and texture unfamiliar against her tongue. And the sounds he let out as she sucked and released were definitely new.

“So this is why they gave a woman the captaincy,” he hummed. “Your rise through the ranks must have been effortless.”

He threaded his fingers into her hair, owning and demanding, and she prepared for more insults that were sure to follow.

“What about you, Commander?” he asked between his shameless moans of delight. “Has she offered you this courtesy? Is that why you agreed to serve under her command?”

In a jolt of pleasure, his hips jerked, pressing him further into her mouth, and while she was able to suppress the gag she couldn’t prevent her eyes from watering.

All conversation forgotten, he took hold of her head with both hands, placed himself steady in front of her and, consumed by selfish need, began pushing his length inside her, deeper with each slow move.

And right there was the greatest difference between the man she loved and the man she merely lusted for.

Chakotay would never do this to her unless she explicitly asked for it. But Kashyk, he didn’t even hesitate. Yet in doing so, he was answering an unspoken call from deep within her, completing her dark passion with a counterpart of his, their desires playing together seamlessly.

Drunk on her role in the savage scene, she forced quiet the natural resistance of her body and struggled to adapt, to accommodate the thickness filling her throat.

Between thrusts she was given time for one breath only before he plunged back in again, his hoarse groans vibrating in the air until he gasped and paused, shuddering as he backed away from the brink of orgasm.

She stayed on the floor and wiped her face while he leaned against the railing, both staring at each other and taking deep breaths, the intermission needed to regroup for round two.

Recalling they were not alone, he addressed the man who had been following the events in silence as ordered.

“Commander, I feel generous today. When I’m done, I will let you enjoy her mouth too. Exquisite, I assure you, and well worth the wait.”

The visual was delicious and she did her best to hide another smile that threatened to break free. Herself, on all fours, sucking Chakotay with Kashyk watching, was something worth considering.

Preoccupied in fantasy, she didn’t notice the change in the atmosphere until she got up and was greeted by a tight slap across her face.

The sudden pain shot through her consciousness as the sound of the impact echoed loudly in the quiet room, along with her sharp intake of breath and an immediate protective growl from Chakotay.

“I did not give you permission to get up, Captain. And I suggest you wipe that smirk off your face.”

His voice was cold, yet just under the surface, etched with annoyance and hurt pride.

Hand on the weapon strapped to his hip, he studied both her and Chakotay, weighing whether they were still under his control and compliant enough to continue. Though she didn’t dare to glance at Chakotay, she hoped he knew it would take much more than a little rough handling for her to choose to end this scene.

The silence hung heavy between the three, seconds passing until a smug grin slowly spread over the Devore’s features.

“Good. Now finish undressing and bend over, Captain. Make yourself worth Voyager’s safe passage through our space.”

With a growing disbelief, she undid her pants and let them slide past her hips along with her panties, leaving all of her exposed to his impassive gaze.

This was it? Surely he would want more of her than a simple blow job and a quick fuck in her ready room? Every fiber in his multifaceted demeanor had promised desires much more complex than that.

Taking a firm hold of the railing, she arched over and jutted her ass out for easy access, the approving sound from him not nearly enough to dampen the stinging disappointment.

Then she felt his light caress, trailing slowly down her spine and over the curve of her hips and thighs. It lit up her senses and sent shivers of delight throughout her body, and as he ended the travel with a spank on her cheeks, followed by three more in quick succession, her knees buckled and an involuntary moan escaped her throat.

Maybe there would be more to him, after all.

His fingers dipped between her slick folds and paused there, as if reflecting on his finding.

“I see you enjoy this, Captain. Can’t say I’m surprised. You always were a woman full of contradiction.”

Humming to the music, he kept stroking her, his touch unfamiliar and harsher than the one she was used to, but a wonderful thrill because of it. The quiver in her thighs and the tightness low in her belly built with ease and she swallowed hard, still reluctant to reveal the extent of her pleasure.

“I wonder, Captain, if I were to call my officers here, would you enjoy them watching you like this? Or would you even…” he lingered, enjoying the visions his mind was producing. “Would you let them have you, one by one, if I were to call it part of this treaty?”

She let her eyes close and head fall forward, his silken tone washing over her, demeaning and ravishing, heating her up.

Back in the day, when the danger had been real and the threat to the people she had vowed to protect so close to realization, the sound of his voice had made her tense and defensive. Every contact with him had been a walk on a thin line between safety and destruction, and she had never been sure if the next second would be Voyager’s last.

Now, the images he painted only fed her appetite, and she welcomed his insolence as he pumped into her with leisured, almost indifferent fingers, continuing to describe scenarios how he might use her for his entertainment.

Well-primed by a longtime fantasy brought to existence, her orgasm surged fast and furious, and she lunged against his hand for the final stimulation she needed to tip over into a silent ecstasy.

But at her crest, the bliss was shattered by an explosion of pain as his palm smacked hard against her ass, and the howl that burst out of her was one of an animal.

The spanking was intense and drawn out, but even though she gladly accepted every strike he had to offer, she knew the onslaught didn’t hold the same meaning for him.

It wasn’t until he was panting with exertion that he seemed content.

“Do not do that again, Captain. I will decide what you deserve. And when and how I will deliver it to you.”

Skin burning and stinging, she sighed and shuddered.

She had not been wrong. Dominance and the joy of inflicting pain were woven into the core of him, making her submission delightfully painful and degrading. In addition, he seemed to enjoy prolonging the act to explore all the subtleties of their interaction and she was sure she hadn’t seen the best – or worst - of him yet.

Succumbing to Chakotay was fundamentally different. In the beginning, their roughness in sex was her idea, her demand even, not really submission at all. Later, regardless of the frequent bruises on her body, their play was always consensual, aiming for mutual satisfaction within well-defined limits.

This man, she now realized, would not respect any limits, but push forward for his own pleasure, both the physical and the cravings of his ego. How far he would take it and how much she would gain from the journey, she would soon find out.

As if sensing her hesitance and her deep-rooted need to maintain some kind of leverage, he gripped her arms with calm, precise moves and twisted them behind her back. Pushing her upper body down against the railing, he tied her wrists together with what felt like a leather strap, and after a fleeting indecision, she relinquished the remains of control, admitting that this was what she had wanted from him all along – to force her to yield.

“There, to keep you receptive and obedient, Captain. Not too tight, I hope?”

He was back to his civil small talk and relaxed manner, all hostility and conflict forgotten, yet his composure carried a dissonance far more unsettling than his anger.

A hundred possible outcomes rushing through her mind, her pulse pounded with uncertainty and excitement. But instead of proceeding in taking her like she expected, she heard his steps retreating farther away.

“She is quite the beauty, isn’t she?”

Through her confusion and mounting desire, she was able to appreciate his restraint and creativity.

Not only had he tied her up and made her wait while he engaged in casual conversation with her first officer, but he had also left her in a position that gave both men a perfect view between her thighs, his handprints visible on her ass, her folds swollen and glistening with arousal.

Chakotay grunted his confirmation.

“You know, I think you would have made an excellent captain, Commander. You could have easily taken command of this glorious ship and led your people through the dangers of this quadrant. And just imagine, you could have kept her like this; in your ready room, bent over, waiting to fulfill the wishes of her captain. What a wonderful thought, isn’t it?”

Another mumbled reply from Chakotay generated a dark laugh from the Devore.

“Watch and learn, Commander. You might change that view and abandon your useless human sensibility in favor of what truly matters.”

A rustle indicated he was moving.

“Power and pleasure, Commander. There’s nothing quite like hearing them scream.”

Closing the distance between them, he was behind her again, grabbing her hips and without further preamble, buried his length deep into her with an extended, guttural hiss.

The suddenness and the delightful burn of piercing and stretching made her yelp, and he laughed as she parted her legs, widening her stance to be able to take his thrusts without losing balance.

Matching his moves to the music, with intervals too long to properly please her, he continued like they truly were in a negotiation.

“I’m fairly certain, Captain… I will take this alternative you’re proposing… with a little addition, ah… It’s been a tedious mission… my men have gone without… and you have such attractive women… and men, among your crew…”

She fucking hated men who talked too much.

The music came to a faster tempo and his thrusts sped up accordingly, closer to the kind of friction she required to come.

“It will take you three more weeks… to move across our space… During that time…”

Was he seriously drawing up plans in the middle of a spiral towards a very promising orgasm?

And when he still continued, her fraying patience snapped.

“Can you not shut up for five minutes and just fuck me!” she lashed out, frustrated at her climax hovering so close yet staying out of reach.

As soon as the words had left her, he stopped and pulled out, leaving her legs shaking and her insides clenching around emptiness.

“What did you say?”

Unusually flat and void of emotion, his voice still sliced the air, setting off alarms in her mind and making her skin crawl at the warning in his tone.

The next thing she knew, he grabbed her hair and yanked her head back, silencing her cry of surprise with a cloth stuffed into her mouth as he growled next to her ear, his wounded ego dripping with venom.

“Oh, I will fuck you, gaharay, deep and hard until you bleed. And when I’m done, I’ll call in every man who wants to take his turn.”

With that, she was thrown to her knees, her face pressed down against the floor, and her ass raised in the air as he shoved his cock back inside her and picked up a relentless pace, the rhythm and grace of the symphony abandoned.

The tears in her eyes and the moans choked by the gag in her mouth stemmed equally from the pain of his forceful penetration and the red-hot lust coursing through her veins.

It had been ages since anyone had treated her with such brutality and disrespect.

And what a thrill it was.

Every part of her pulsed with uncontrolled, fierce lust for this stranger she thought she knew, his elegant touch turned violent, his civilized voice turned coarse and vulgar.

Bit by bit he had manipulated both her mind and her body, leading her gradually further on a path where dignity and self-respect gave way to pure, primal need. She wanted nothing more than to feel his fingers digging into her flesh, holding her still while he slammed into her with all his strength, grunting his pleasure loud over hers. And when he crowned the moment by sliding his hand around her neck, finding the precious veins and tightening around them, she wept at the intensity and raw beauty of the act.

Then he crouched over her and pressed his lips to her ear so that when he spoke, she was the only one who heard.

“This is exactly how I always imagined you, Captain. On your knees, moaning like a bitch while I fuck you – until you die.”

His words sank with difficulty into her heat-filled mind, yet when they did, she instantly understood the horrible perfection of the scene he had masterfully maneuvered.

She had been choked during sex often enough to know she had about ten seconds before the lack of oxygen would make her pass out, and if he continued gripping her throat, he would easily succeed in doing what he intended: climaxing into her lifeless body.

Too far gone, she felt the fire spreading from her core along her thighs accompanied by an ice-cold chill down her spine, and as the thunderous orgasm ripped through her, she cried into the cloth in her mouth, desperately gasping for more air, her rapture colored by a newly discovered fear.

Tied and gagged, forced motionless and silent, she was unable to signal the safe codes.

Chakotay, seated behind them, could not see how the hand around her throat was denying her air and circulation way past the limits of safe and sane. For all he knew, her muffled sounds and frantic writhing were due to overwhelming ecstasy.

And as the dark edges closed in around her vision, her last coherent thought reached out to the safety protocols, only to remember they were disengaged - for her pleasure.

 

∞ ∞ ∞

 

“… thryn, Kathryn? Please, open your eyes and talk to me!”

Lost in the haze in her mind, his familiar voice came from afar. Her lids fluttered heavy, refusing to open.

She felt him untying her, turning her on her back, checking her pulse.

Finally, her consciousness surfaced with a startle and gasping deeply she pushed herself upright from the floor where she had collapsed, maybe just seconds ago.

Her eyes swept over her ready room, only to discover that the cause of her alarm was gone.

“I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry,” Chakotay kept repeating, gathering her into his arms, rocking her against his chest.

Although her heart welcomed his embrace, her bruised body resisted the movement, a variety of aches shooting through her as he pressed her closer.

She winced at the pain and he loosened his hold at once, examining her with shadows of concern on his features.

“We need to go to the Doctor, make sure everything is alright,” he pleaded, as if knowing before he even began that she would decline.

“No. No doctor,” she croaked against the soreness of her battered throat and coughed. “I’ll be fine.”

Sighing, he let go of an argument that would lead nowhere, pulled her near again, and buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent, her life.

His fingers moved to stroke her hair, soothing her, maybe himself as well, the gentleness of the act a captivating contrast to the violence earlier. With a weary moan, she relaxed into his arms.

“This is not how I pictured the play to end, Kathryn,” he said after a while, needing to state the obvious. “He spoke about bringing you to your knees, teasing you to your limits, denying release until you would be begging for it. I had no idea he would react like that… change like that.”

Disturbed by the utter regret in his words, she tilted her head to regard him. Apart from the ending, she had had a wonderful time. Did he not know this?

“You don’t have to apologize for something that was in no way your fault, Chakotay. Neither of us knew, and that unpredictability and danger were exactly what I wanted. You fulfilled a long-lasting fantasy of mine and I’m grateful you did,” she said, hoping he could hear the sincerity in her every word.

He shook his head, appearing even more devastated.

“I also promised to protect you, to keep you safe, and in that, I failed. I should have stepped in sooner.”

Lost for words, she looked down at her wrists and the deep red markings there, bound too tight and too long. As if the thought alone had summoned him, his large hands came to cover the imprints and began to rub them, restoring circulation and easing the ache.

In silence, he ran a dermal regenerator over her injuries, which were relatively minor considering the brutality inflicted upon her. Gradually, she came to think that the greatest wounds might not be found on her flesh, but on the repercussions this experience could have on their relationship.

“We need to stop doing this, Chakotay,” she finally decided, and hurried to continue as his troubled gaze darted to her, jumping to conclusions. “The safety protocols, I mean. They need to stay active from now on.”

His dimples flashed, brief and tired, and before he returned to his task she saw a tremble on his lips, so faint she might easily not have noticed. Like a reflection of hidden pain and a frail wish that this chapter in their relationship truly could be closed and never opened again.

But what struck her most in his gesture was the underlying doubt, the persistent fear that her words and his hope would prove untimely, vanishing as the next temptation came along.

She reached out to touch the side of his face and searched for his eyes, making absolutely sure he heard and believed her.

“I mean it, Chakotay. Whatever we decide to explore and try out together, I want both of us to enjoy every moment from the beginning to the end. I don’t want you to have to worry or feel insecure, wondering if you’re enough, if _we’re_ enough. Chakotay, you are my everything.”

This time, the smile that lit up his face reached his eyes, glimmering there with relief and gratitude.

The extent of his love and devotion never ceased to amaze her. The lengths he would go to for her, to give her everything he believed her heart desired, yet he had ever asked so little for himself.

Even this most basic request had only lingered behind his dark eyes, unvoiced and held back by a choice and determination to place her needs above his.

He only wished that she be kept safe. Not only by technology, safe words, and limits negotiated and agreed upon, but by her personal promise to steer away from unnecessary risks instead of welcoming them with open arms, to value her life and keep her heart beating, so that he could continue loving her, without fear, for years and years to come.

Dear, sweet man.

He would be in for so much more than that.

 

∞

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I was very lucky to have three amazing betas comment this story. My deepest thank you Klugtiger, Helen8462, and MiaCooper.


End file.
